Author: Elizabeth Harrell

Listen. I get that not everyone feels the same way I do about Halloween. Case in point: Winston the skull-snowglobe. I purchased him last year for Halloween and instead of packing him away in November, he became a year-round member of my office support staff. My other main office support member is this shelf. Her name is Rhonda. You can read about her makeover on my instagram.

With all that said, I am a Halloween nut. There is no such thing as too much or too tacky and just yesterday Jane picked up a fake skeleton hand in Target and yelled, “I’m coming for your soul.” Apparently my genes are strong.

But some people are classier and don’t necessarily want to cover their homes in fake cobwebs and plastic coffins that yell “enter if you dare” every time a person or squirrel motion-activates it. And retail stores shouldn’t dominate our seasonal decor anymore than they should dominate our home decorating. Case in point, this spider plate.

This is the Miss Muffet plate. She was a steal at Goodwill. She’s hand painted and I have zero ideas about where she came from or how old she is (I figured it wasn’t polite to ask). I’m thinking she belongs in a place of honor, like a shadow box.

Vintage plates might be the best way to decorate for October and November. They look great on the wall, or better yet, collect some mismatched plates for a tablescape. Pine cones and wheat are great dinner party decor (like this wheat-harvest themed vintage platter on my etsy page).

Yes. That was a shameless plug for my etsy shop. There may be more.

Who are we kidding. There will be more.

Art is another great way to incorporate some vintage fall and Halloween decor into your house. Case in point: I found this beauty at Goodwill. It’s called “Autumn Grasses” and was originally a famous Japanese folding screen from the 1800’s by artist Shibata Zeshin.

You guys. It has a giant moon, bugs, and the colors are spot on for some subtle Halloween decor. Given my affinity for Winston the skull-snow-globe, this piece of art will be year round in my house. BUT, at these costs you could definitely afford to collect some fall-seasonal specific art and store it in your attic when Christmas rolls around.

I don’t have any fall specific art in my shop at the moment (I’m so not parting with that giant-moon-bug print), but I do have a vintage black and white print of the Archbishop of Canterbury who was assassinated way back in 1170. And that’s basically a kissing-cousin story to all those witch-trial tales. A stretch? Maybe. But I just think the print is SO cool and wanted to share it.

Planters and ceramics are another great option for some changeable fall decor when the air gets cooler and evening walks require sweaters. This ebony planter with ruffled edging is begging to display some tiny pumpkins. And this Heager bowl and matching candlesticks looks like the fall decor that might have perched atop Grandma’s solid wood record console during happy hour circa 1960.

Of course, when all else fails, you can keep your fingers crossed that a real-life mama spider takes up residence on your porch, and your neighbor’s fireplace fills the air with wood smoke, and the evening sky turns that perfect shade of deep purple.

When it comes to real life practical magic, this combo wins every time.

Ya’ll. Summer happened. 90% good, 10% chaos. There was traveling, swimming, article writing, house-painting. AND after spending a bulk of the summer in thrift stores and antique malls, I finally opened an Etsy shop.

In my dream world I have a little antique store filled with funky old paintings, quilts, pottery, furniture that belongs on the set of Harry Potter, a candle burning on the front counter, and a black shop cat named Persis. Also, said imaginary store has exact purple doors like the ones in this photo.

BUT. Ya’ll. Retail rent is not for the faint of heart. A virtual brick and mortar store will do just fine. I dubbed it “The House of Mabel” as a little way to honor an old and loved chapter in my life.

I have more stock and will be adding soon. Please visit!

And also, happy fall. I painted my fireplace. I bought some wallpaper. I’ll be back.

Fayez and I had a couple of “just us” days this past week, and on a beautiful 80 degree Saturday we went into New York. It had been a while since I ventured in, and it was just as I remembered. All the crowds, smells, and sights were still there. Although now, after living in the burbs of New Jersey for almost a year, I have a hard time fathoming how we survived that level of daily noise and chaos. I feel very sentimental about our Queens neighborhood at times, but on the whole I’m very happy to have left that daily craziness behind.

Today we drove to Home Depot in sleet, bought cornflower blue paint, drank coffee, and sent spring vibes out into the universe. It’s clear that New Jersey has no intention of letting flowers bloom and doves coo. There is even more snow in the forecast. But I have strategies. And none of them involve crying.

And while most people get cranky when sick, she tries to stay cheerful, but also gets kind of slap happy. From fever? From boredom? From pain? I don’t know. But what I do know is that when we entered the doctor’s office and I said “don’t touch anything” my normally mature six year old heard my instructions through her feverish ears and decided that since I didn’t say “don’t lick anything” she was good to go on sampling the taste of her waiting room chair.